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Favorite Filipino Restaurants

Whenever I go to another country, my mouth usually waters for a taste of their native dishes. Food is said to be a reflection of one’s culture. What better way to know more about a country than through their food? Here in the Philippines, there are numerous local restaurants scattered all over, rooted from the fact that we like to cook and eat. Here are 12 of the restaurants that usually keep me satisfied and happy whenever I crave for a local dish.

Kamayan

Eating with our bare hands or kamay is something that we Filipinos love to do, especially when it makes eating the particular food easier. The food served include- shrimp, oysters, crab etc. It’s sort of an unwritten tradition that you eat with your hands when eating in this restaurant, which makes eating very enjoyable. You can also choose to eat using utensils. They have a branch in Mandaluyong, Ortigas, near Saisaki; a Japanese restaurant in the Philippines. There are also branches at SM Megamall, Mandaluyong and Glorietta, Makati.
Budget is around: Php 300.00 - Php 900.00 / per person depending if you want to have a buffet meal or order individual dishes.

Cabalen

The restaurant has indeed proven that serving good Filipino food will go a long way. It originated in Pampanga and is now present in Metro Manila, pioneering in SM Mega Mall, Mandaluyong. People just can’t get enough of their kare-kare (vegetables mixed with preferred meat and peanut based sauce), sisig (fried insides, usually of pork), and kalderetang baka (beef stew). It’s also at Robinsons Place, Manila and SM Mall of Asia, Manila.
Budget is around: Php 200.00 - Php 500.00 / per person depending if you want to have a buffet meal or order individual dishes.

Barrio Fiesta

They are famous for their crispy pata (deep fried pork leg) as well as other Filipino dishes such as pancit canton (noodle dish) and lechon kawali (pan-fried roasted pork). If you’d rather have fish then try their fish fillet with tar tar sauce. End your feast of Filipino food with leche flan (milk-based dessert). The restaurant is available at the malls SM Megamall, Mandaluyong; SM North Edsa, Quezon City; and SM Fairvew, Quezon city among others.
Budget is around: Php 200.00 - Php 500.00 / per person depending if you want to have a buffet meal or order individual dishes.

Mannang Restaurant

Their specialties include- native chicken barbeque, pancit palabok bihon (noodle dish), and baked oysters. Why not cool down with sago’t gulaman (similar to a pearl shake)? It has branches at SM Mega Mall, Mandaluyong; and at SM Mall of Asia, Manila.
Budget is around: Php 150.00 - Php 500.00 / per person

Dencios Bar and Grill

This restaurant is popular among teenagers who are usually on a budget when they go out with their friends. When with my friends, we usually order – sizzling mushrooms, (pork) sisig supreme, and sizzling tiyan ng bangus (sizzing bangus belly). I usually eat at the one in Metrowalk Commercial Complex in Pasig, but it’s also available at TriNoma North Edsa, Quezon City; Robinsons Place, Manila; and Power Plant Mall, Makati among others.
Budget is around: Php 200.00 - Php 500.00 / per person

Gerry’s Grill

Good food with a good price. This is why this restaurant practically rakes in customers, especially during the weekends. I usually order tuna sisig (though sisig was originally offered in pork, it’s now offered in two other varieties; bangus/milk fish and tuna) and pinakbet. Pinakbet, on the other hand, is a mixture of pork, shrimp, sweet potato, egg plant, string beans and other vegetables mixed with salty sauce and sprinkled with tsitsaron bits (fried pork grind and belly). Other tasty dishes from this restaurant include- braised beef briskets, fried blue marlin, tuna belly, etc. When eating at Gerry’s Grill, why not have their buko (coconut) juice? Some of this restaurant’s branches are at- TriNoma Mall EDSA, North Ave.; Glorietta, Makati; and in E.Rodriguez Jr. Libis, Quezon City.
Budget is around: Php 200.00- Php 500.00 / per person

Max’ Restaurant

Max’ Restaurant says that it’s the house that fried chicken built, and I definitely won’t argue with them. For in Max’ Restaurant, the fried chicken is so tasty that one drumstick simply isn’t enough. Their combo meals are quite affordable, usually around Php 150.00 to Php 250.00. I usually order the Platter; which serves pancit canton (noodle dish), fried chicken, rice, a caramel bar, and a soda of your choice. If you’d rather order individually- you can order – whole chicken, sweet and sour fish, lumpiang ubod (vegetables and pork rapped together with sauce) and a whole lot more. It is available in almost any commercial area.
Budget is around: Php 150.00- Php 500.00 / per person

Aristocrat Restaurant

The secret to their famous chicken barbecue has never been discovered but it has continued to satisfy Filipino customers since the early 1930’s. It has expanded greatly and is available in many commercialized establishments. But the most famous tourist drawer is in Malate, Manila. Other branches are in SM City North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, and Robinson’s Place Manila among others.
Budget is around: Php 250.00 - Php 500 / per person

Bacolod Chicken Inasal

Bacolod is a province in Negro Occidental in the Visayas region. They pride themselves with their famous chicken recipe; chicken inasal. This is taken to Manila by the restaurant; Bacolod Chicken Inasal. Their paa (chicken thigh), as well as other inner parts of the chicken such as atay (chicken liver), or isol (chicken tail), makes chicken taste in a different way with its unique mixture of the flavours such as Filipino vinegar, lemon grass, and garlic. For snacks, the restaurant provides tasty treats such as suman at mangga (rice pudding wrapped with a banana leaf), puto (rice cake) with cheese, or grilled abobo pandesal. Visit their branches in Jupiter Street, Makati; SM Mall of Asia Manila; and at SM Megamall, Mandaluyong.
Budget is around: Php 100.00- Php 200.00 / per person

G-Squared Palutuan: Ihaw Ihaw at Palutuan

Is it your birthday? Are you planning to treat a number of people and it so happens that you’re on a budget? Don’t fret because G-Squared is here. The restaurant offers fresh sea food that you can choose to handpick before they cook it for you, thus, the term palutuan which means “kitchen”. The restaurant is usually beside a market where you can choose your food. I love their baked oysters, squid, shrimp and crab. Some of its branches are in Sucat, Paranaque near Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), in SM Mall of Asia, Manila and Ortigas Town Center.
Budget is around: Php 600.00- Php 1500.00 / 4 persons

Icebergs Restaurant

This restaurant serves the cool ice beverage that keeps us Filipinos happy during hot, sunny days or whenever we crave for something sweet. It’s famous for its Halo-halo - a mixture of crushed ice, several sweets such as macapuno (coconut strings), banana, topped with ice cream, leche flan (milked-based dessert), and ube (purple jam). The restaurant is available at Harbon Square Manila and Robinsons Place Manila among others.
Halo-Halo cost around: Php 100.00
For other meals around: Php 200.00 and below / person

Via Mare Café

Bibingka is one of the Filipino desserts that I just cannot stop having. I always seem to be craving it. Basically, it’s like a coconut flavored hotcake topped with cheese and grated coconut. If you have a sweet tooth like me, you can dip it in sugar while eating it. I always take mine with iced coffee but feel free to choose your drink. Via Mare Café is not limited to serving bibingka, it serves other Filipino desserts as well such as puto (rice cake). It’s also famous for its other meals like pansit luglog (rice noodles mixed with shrip sauce), or relyenong bangus (stuffed fish served with tomato sauce). The restaurant is also open to catering as well. I usually eat there when I’m at Shangri-La or at TriNoma, Edsa North Ave.
Bibingka is around: Php 90.00
For other meals: Php 200.00- Php 400.00 / person